1. Technical Field
This invention relates generally to a hinge for a folding armrest or passenger seat of the type used in passenger vehicles and, more particularly, to a hinge mechanism having a positive latch assembly which permits the armrest or passenger seat to be folded forward during normal use but which locks in an upright position to prevent folding prior to the manual release of a positive latch.
2. Discussion
As is known, passenger vehicles commonly include one or more armrests located between adjacent seats such as, for example, between driver and passenger portions of a bench seat. The seat occupants can move the armrest between a stowed position in which the armrest is concealed within or abuts the seatback and a deployed position in which the armrest is folded out to rest against the seat bottom. Alternatively, passenger vehicles commonly include a center passenger seat located between the driver and passenger seats. The center passenger seat can similarly be moved between a stowed position and a deployed position.
Typically, the armrest or center passenger seat includes a pair of hinges supporting opposite sides thereof for pivotable movement between the stowed and deployed positions. Each hinge includes upper and lower hinge members with the upper hinge member rotating with respect to the lower hinge member about a pivot. More particularly, the upper hinge member is typically connected to an upholstered armrest cushion or seat cushion while the lower hinge member is connected to the frame structure of the vehicle seat or vehicle floor.
While conventional armrests are provided to enhance the comfort of the seat occupants and conventional folding center passenger seats provide additional passenger seating, they can unexpectedly move from the stowed position toward the deployed position during a sudden vehicular deceleration condition, for example caused by a frontal collision or heaving braking of the motor vehicle. If a seat occupant is sitting in between the driver and passenger seats, such a deceleration can cause the armrest or folding center passenger seat to strike the passenger which may cause injury. Additionally, unexpected movement of the armrest or folding center passenger seat from the stowed position toward the deployed position can occur more frequently as the hinges wear and become loose.
One approach for addressing this condition is the use of an inertia-sensitive hinge mechanism which allows rotation of a first hinge member relative to a second hinge member about a pivot during normal use and prevents rotation about the pivot when predetermined deceleration forces are present. While inertia-sensitive latching assemblies have achieved great success, it has now become desirable to provide a hinge for use in folding armrests or center passenger seats including a positive latch assembly which inhibits movement from a stowed position to a deployed position prior to the manual release of the positive latch assembly.